Cheating Death
by TheAngryPenguin12
Summary: Natsu Dragneel has a dream in which he encounter's Death. Then a mysterious boy appears at the Fairy Tail guild. An adventure begins that will shape the future of Fiore forever


**How's it going everybody?! This is my first fanfic in just about forever. Its also my first Fairy Tail fanfic so this is double the fun! I hope you enjoy and please review to tell me if it was good, bad or ugly. Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Fairy Tail! I wish I did but life sucks like that.**

 **Prolouge**

Natsu Dragneel sunk to his knees as he witnessed the sight before him. He had just returned from a week long mission only to find his guild hall smoking. He had run with a speed he had never achieved before through the streets of Magnolia, shoving panicking citizens out of the way in the process. He had reached the Fairy Tail guild hall and burst through the door only to be greeted by a horrifying scene. Bodies were strewn about the room and blood covered the walls and floor. Natsu was too shocked to make a sound.

After a moment, he stood and began to survey the wreckage. Whatever had happened here, it had been catastrophic. Then he spotted her. Lucy Heartfilia. She was laying in an awkward position. One that a normal person wouldn't ever lie in. The dragon slayer scrambled over to her and gently and tenderly picked her up. She was dead. A large wound in her gut had been her end. Natsu sank down against a wall crying and clutching Lucy's limp body to his chest. His best friend was dead in his arms and hadn't been here to protect her.

"So the famous Salamander finally decides to show his face," said a voice from the shadows. Natsu raised his head from the crook of Lucy's neck. His eyes burning with an intense anger.

"Are you the one that killed them," he asked. He gently placed Lucy on the ground and got to his feet. His body was perfectly relaxed and his face didn't betray his feelings, but his eyes were full of emotion. The only thing keeping him from bursting into flames at this very moment was that he didn't want to cause anymore damage to his friends bodies. He was going to kill whoever killed them and then he was going to give them all a proper funeral.

"Yes I am Natsu," replied the voice, "because of you." Natsu's eyes widened and the voice laughed. The laugh echoed around the desecrated guild hall. "I want to witness the true power of the Dragon Slayer." Footsteps sounded to Natsu's left and he turned to face his adversary. A giant of a man emerged from the shadows. He was covered in muscles that clearly showed through his tight black t-shirt. His hair was black as night and flowed behind him even though there was no breeze. His footsteps were heavy and seemed to shake the very Earth. The worst thing was his eyes. They glowed a blood red and seemed to send waves of evil towards Natsu.

"You mean you killed them," Natsu growled, "JUST TO GET ME TO FIGHT YOU!" At this point he was covered in flames. "Well then come and get some." His voice carried all the malice in his being. The man only laughed.

"What a pitiful display Dragon Slayer," his opponent chuckled. He moved closer to Natsu. "Let me explain who I am. My name….is Death! And I have come for your power, Natsu Dragneel!" His voice lowered. "But first I must see it. Show me Natsu." And then he yelled, "SHOW ME YOUR FLAMES OF EMOTION," while becoming covered in flowing shadows. Only his glowing red eyes were visible. Natsu yelled a battle cry and rushed toward Death. Death moved faster than he had anticipated. With a simple backhand, he sent the young dragon slayer flying through the wall.

Natsu slammed into the ground and skipped across in like a stone across the water. He managed to stop himself by shoving his hands and feet into the ground and sliding to a stop. Death stepped through the hole in the wall as Natsu got to his feet. "I've absorbed all of their power," Death laughed. His voice had changed from the deep almost soothing calming voice it was before, into a distorted and demonic form. "After absorbing all of their life force I could tell why they were the strongest guild in Fiore!"

Natsu launched himself at Death. This time his adversary had little time to block the attack but still managed to avoid harm. He caught Natsu's hand inches from his face. "Shut up," Natsu growled. Natsu sent a kick straight into Death's gut, pushing them apart. It had little effect.

"Do you want to know how they died, Dragon slayer?" The question sent Natsu into a greater rage. His flames burned with much more intensity. He screamed out in his anger, unable to find words to yell at the murderer of his friends. They were really fighting now. Both traded blows with equal strength. Death dodged a Fire Dragon Roar from Natsu and struck him in the gut. Natsu sunk to his knees gasping for breath. Death leaned in and whispered, "I gave them a chance to live. All they had to do is tell me where you were. But they refused." Natsu's eyes filled with tears. He knew that it was true. His friends at Fairy Tail would never have given him up just as he never would've given them up. "They chose to fight in stead. Its your fault they're dead Natsu. If only you had been here, you could've saved them."

Natsu's flames had died down almost completely. Death smiled. He had won so easily, but he wasn't quite done. In Lucy's voice he said, "Natsu! Where are you?!" Natsu looked up weakly.

"Stop," he Death started going through the dying screams of all of Natsu's friends. Gray, Erza, Levy, Wendy, Gajeel, Mira, Happy, the list when on. "Stop," Natsu cried again. The voices continued. Then with a roar he yelled, "I SAID STOP IT!"

His flames burned brighter than ever before. His Flames of Emotion had been unlocked. Everything around him burst into flame. Death grinned and then threw back his head. "There they are," He yelled with excitement. "Now fight me dragon slayer!" Natsu punched Death into the air and jumped up after him. He hit him with every spell he knew. He poured every bit of magical energy into his attack. "FIRE DRAGON, BRILLIANT FLAME," he roared and slammed Death into the ground.

Death lay there unmoving in a giant crater. Natsu landed next to it and stood for a moment looking down on Death victoriously. He had defeated Death and avenged his friends. With this thought he fell over, too weak to stand. He would need rest. After a few moments of laying with his eyes closed, Natsu heard something. He turned his head to see Death climbing out of the crater completely unscathed. A triumphant smile adorned the monster's face. Thunder roared in the sky.

Natsu knew that he should be afraid but he didn't have the strength. In fact he felt warm. He realized that he had accepted his fate. He would be with his friends again and it was what he wanted. Natsu closed his eyes and slipped into darkness.

"Natsu," a voice called out. It was different than Death's voice. This voice was warm, loving, familiar. Natsu slowly opened his eyes. It appeared as if time had froze. Death stood frozen, his sinister smile on his face. Even the flames on the trees and grass. As Natsu looked around for the voice he saw someone he hadn't noticed at the beginning of the battle. Dressed in a cloak with the hood pulled low, was a boy not much younger than Natsu. The boy was frozen, mid run with a sword drawn and ready to strike. Standing behind him, was the entirety of Fairy Tail. Lucy was among them. Natsu ran over and embraced her. Lifting her off her feet. Lucy laughed as Natsu spun her around. Then he put her down and they both looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like eternity. Then Lucy leaned in and in Death's voice whispered, "He is the key to saving your friends." With Death's monstrous laugh echoing in his head, Natsu woke up in a cold sweat, not a clue as to what he had just dreamt.

 **This concludes chapter 1! Thank you again for reading and don't forget to tell me what you thought. I will see all of you….IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


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